February 21 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter

On the ice conditions and the atmosphere:
I thought it was really, really good. Like really fortunate for our organization to be able to say we did it two years in a row and two totally different venues. But I think everybody involved did a really great job. It’s hard to have great ice because it was so humid as the game went on. But I think they were doing everything they could to get snow off I think they got their money’s worth.

On whether he’d like to see Stadium Series games earlier in the season:
It’s two points on the line every night. Not that there is more on the line now than there is any other division game. This is a division game. It’s a division rival. It’s a road game for us. I don’t think earlier in the season would say anything for the importance of the game.

On whether the Kings had an advantage by having played outdoors last year:
No, I don’t think so. I think that first off, it’s not easy to play in these games. It’s a totally different process for players in terms of preparation and especially with playing them in the fair weather part of it because you’re practicing the night before where their routine is usually early the day before or mid-afternoon and game day. So you’ve got to give — there is no advantage to anybody, I think. It’s a routine that I’m sure if you talked to the Sharks, they’d say they’d love to do it again, and I’m sure that’s what the Kings would say too.

On any significance to the Kings’ rise in the standings with 24 games to go:
It’s a road game and it’s a division game. If you look at our schedule, we have a two-game trip for us, and we have 14 road games and 12 division games so I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on where we are right now. In fact, I’m going to put money on it that we have more points this year at this time than we did last year after this.

On the momentum shift after the first period:
They’re two very even teams. To think that one team could dominate the other. I think both teams have shown that over of the course of the season.

On whether the winning streak is “significant”:
I think since the break, our penalty kill has been better. But at the same time if you look at it, and it’s probably going on around the league because there is more of a playoff atmosphere just wait for your penalties. We’ve only had to kill two or three a game, and that is the big difference. What was it tonight? 3-2 again. It’s been every game like 1, 2 or 3, and that’s closer to what the playoffs are like, and that’s probably tells you something about the balance in the league and where we are after coming out of an All-Star break and so many teams are fighting for playoff spots.

On whether the outdoor games are tough on the skaters:
It’s a different condition. It’s a different atmosphere. Just the feel of it is different. Just being outdoors and how big it is. It’s hard for them all, but I’m sure that it’s fun for them, too.

On the performance by the “fourth line”:
The fourth line for playoff teams to be a playoff team, your so-called fourth line has to be able to play minutes on the road. If they can’t, then you can’t play them. If they’re only five or six or seven-minute players, then you’re not a playoff team.

On how to prepare the players for a game that takes them out of their “comfort zone”:
Obviously, our schedule coming in here is we came in yesterday afternoon and had the practice last night, so that is different. And they don’t practice on their normal routine. We play as well as we can
every night. Doesn’t always result in wins. So our focus coming in today was there was a big division game and it was a road game. If you take any other approach, over the long haul you’re not going to get the result you want.

On what he took away from last year’s game:
We didn’t score a goal in the outdoor game last year.